


I Called

by memoryrebel



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angry Avengers, Angry Steve, Branding, Guilty Steve, Hurt Tony, Rape Aftermath, Rape/Non-con Elements, Scarring
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2016-03-11
Packaged: 2018-04-14 11:02:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 20
Words: 17,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4562070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/memoryrebel/pseuds/memoryrebel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony was found after missing for three days, worrying Pepper for two, and having the Avengers searching for one. </p><p>When he is found, he isn't exactly the same Tony he used to be. And while the whole team is worried, all Steve can think is,<br/>"Why didn't he call?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is kind of a cross between these two fics I read. I was reading one first, then the other and thought "Huh." And here I am!

Tony was never the type to come home at decent hours of the night. So when he didn't come home the first night, she didn't worry.

Tony was never the type to think it was important to come home after several days, on one of his little escapades that came about from a great idea. So, after the second night, she didn't worry.

But, Tony was the kind to call. If he was gone for too long, he always called. So, on the third night, she worried.

She called, she texted, she emailed. She came dangerously close to sending out a carrier pigeon. The thought that killed that idea was that she needed _location_ to get it to him!

Finally, she resorted to calling somebody else.

" _Hello?"_

_"Steve! I'm worried about Tony!"_

_"Pepper? Why?"_

_"He hasn't been home in two days."_

_"Well, that seems like normal Ton-"_

_"Steve! Something is_ **wrong**!"

Steve was silent for moment. Pepper did know Tony best. If something was wrong... wouldn't she know?

_"Alright. I'll look into it."_

He didn't miss the sigh of relief from the other end.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve, Tasha, Clint, and Pepper try to find Tony's whereabouts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish I had a good excuse for this being late. But the truth, I kept logging onto AO3 to write, and forgetting why I logged on, so I just ended up reading fanfic for hours. Sorry. Anyway...

   They began their search for Tony by trying to track his phone. That didn't work. Shocker. After all, that had naturally been the first thing Pepper had tried. Next, they checked all the bars in the areas security cameras. Nothing. They knew Tony had gone to a bar, but either it was one with no security cameras, or he had lied to Pepper and Jarvis.

   The last place they could track him down to was a corner where they couldn't even see the street signs. Then he rounded a corner and they couldn't find him anywhere else.

   "Wait!" blurted Pepper, "There is a bar on that street! I recognize that corner, it's Tennants Avenue. That must've been where he was going."

   "Well, he must've never made it. We checked the cameras in that bar and never saw him." Natasha chimed in.

   Clint decided to speak then, "Let's check again. Jarvis!"

   "On it sir."

   The screen they had been using to scan streets reverted to the bar's camera footage of the night in question. They sat in silence watching until Clint jumped off the couch. Sensing he found something, Jarvis paused the footage. He ran up to the giant screen and pointed at the bar's window, where they all saw Tony's blurry reflection.

   "Ah, so we didn't see him in the bar, because he was never actually in the bar." Steve commented, crossing his arms, shifting from where he stood behind the couch.

   The footage continued, this time their attention focused on the window. Ton stopped in front of the door, his hand reaching out to open the door. His hand hovered over the door handle, then halted. He must have heard something, because his head tilted up in the direction he had come from. Then a second later he took off running in the opposite direction. A moment after he disappeared, two figures ran past window after him. After that, no matter how hard they looked, there was no more sign of Tony Stark.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They might have a lead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um... sorry this is late. I am really trying not to have this one be like all my others where I just stop writing. I actually know where it's going with this one!

   It was the next day that they finally found something. They were all town between surprise and relief. They had all thought it would take longer, and yet felt like it was taking too long.  Pepper was freaking out, in a classy way, and truth it the rest of the Avengers were beginning to worry as well.

   They got a call from SHIELD saying that one of their informants called in reporting suspicious activity in an abandoned building near where they were holed up. SHIELD had reason to believe that said suspicious activity might have something to do with Tony. Apparently the informant had seen several men dragging a body, whether dead or merely unconscious was hard to discern, into the building three days ago. Nobody had been seen leaving since. That was, until this afternoon, when one man finally exited, covered in blood. That was when the informant decided to call it in.

   The Avengers decided it was good enough for them. They figured that while the chances were slim it had anything to do with Tony, they might as well check it out. They figured he either wouldn't be there, and they'd have to keep looking. Or he'd be there, and be dead. They didn't think he was still alive if he was still there. Man exiting alone with blood did not bode well. Either way it didn't seem good. But they had to try. He was there friend after all, and they promised Pepper.

   They flew quickly to downtown to the address the informant had provided, landing right outside. Screw stealth. Exiting the quinjet, the Avengers all surveyed the area. It was an old, two story, run down apartment building, sitting directly underneath the highway. The bad guys could not have picked a more cliche hideout.

   With a deep breath, Steve turned toward his team.

   "Natasha, you and I are going to take the team inside," Steve made sure he got nods of accession from the surrounding SHIELD agents, "Clint, I need you to stay out here, find a vantage point. We need you to take down any stragglers who exit the building, and keep any reporters away from the area. A quinjet landing will have stirred things up."

   Once everyone had their assignments, they were off into the unknown. To find their friend, and bring him home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve, Natasha, and Clint investigate the building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh sorry this is late. I was grounded so my parents wouldn't let me use computer. I had to rely on library. Which was... get this, renovating. Stupid burocrats. Did I spell that right? Anyway here ya go.

   The Avengers cannot honestly say they have never been nervous on a mission. They are people after all, and people have certain feelings sometimes. Including but not limited to, fear, nervousness, and caution. It turns out, all of which are good for being a spy and a super hero. Those feelings happen to keep you alive.

   What could be honestly said, was that the Avengers had never been _this_ nervous on a mission before. They have all been shot at and threatened beyond belief. Had their lives threatened. But not knowing what has become of a very close friend was the scariest. None of them knew if they would find Tony in there. They didn't know if he was alive or dead. They did not know if their mission was going to end tonight or not. But most importantly, they did not know if it was going to end in tears.

   Steve and Natasha headed inside, with a team of SHIELD agents flanking them. They entered through the old door, finding themselves in a dark hallway. Natasha turned each direction, pointing her pistol in the event they find an enemy waiting there. When she gives the all clear, they head up a rickety stairway washed in darkness. It creaks with each step, it couldn't be helped. Finding themselves at the top, Natasha gestured for the rest to come up after her and search the whole floor. Steve pairs up with Tasha, and the rest of the team divides up in two's as well. The pair of Avengers head through a double swinging door into what they think used to be a kitchen. The tile is all washed out, and each appliance is either missing or has wires poking out. But the strangest thing about the room is the dead body lying on the broken kitchen table.

   Holding his breath, Steve takes his boot and gently turns the body face up. He lets out a breath of relief when he sees that it is in fact not his friend. But the guy is definitely one of the guys from the tape. The faces may have been too blurry for facial recognition, but not blurry enough to keep Steve from being able to recognize them. This guy was also killed by somebody. But who?

   Steve turned and shrugged toward Natasha. She made the same gesture back.

   "Find anything?" she muttered into her comms.

   They crackled for a second, before an agent replied, "Two stiffs down here."

   Natasha looked up at Steve, "Looks like they got in a fight over something. And only one man came out alive."

  "That's disconcerting." Steve murmured as he turned around to survey the rest of the room. If one of these guys got pissed enough to slaughter his colleagues, what had he done to Tony? If Tony was even here in the first place.

   Having seen all there was to see, Steve walked over to another door, leading into a bedroom. Or the remains of one. And the remains did not paint a pretty picture. There was an empty metal bed frame against the back wall, no mattress on the springs, handcuffs cuffed around the headboard. The mattress lay against the wall beside it, covered in what appeared to be blood and he did not want to know what else. In the center of the room sat a table. Ropes wrapped around each leg as if they had been tied tight once, but since been loosened. As if to let something, or somebody, out of their bonds. Their was a metal cart a few feet from the table, and judging by the state of the rest of the room, Steve did not want to look inside.

   Natasha walked over to the cart, then the table, then the bed frame, examining each object for hints, clues, anything to say about what happened here. She finally came to the mattress and tilted her head in contemplation. Soon she reached out and shoved the mattress aside, revealing a brown door, held shut by a padlock. She glanced over her shoulder at Steve, who stepped forward and broke it off. Hearing the clatter of the lock hitting the floor, the team of agents congregated into the room.

   Steve slowly opened the door only a crack and glanced inside. What he saw, well he was lucky he didn't vomit. To keep anyone else from viewing the interior, he held it against his shoulder.

   "Nat, keep them back. Privacy." Steve said solemnly.

   Natasha nodded and ordered the agents into the next room, following them and shutting the door behind her.

   With the others gone, Steve poked his head back inside, feelings tears prick at the corner of his eyes. He took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to contain himself.

   "Oh Tony."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They finally found Tony.

   Steve hesitantly stepped inside the room. He propped the door open to let in light, and to make the small room seem less confining. In fact, Steve did not even know if he could count it as a room, it was more the size of a closet. It was dark and damp. The wallpaper was peeling, and the light switch refused to work. There was an empty dog bowl a few feet from center for what Steve assumed was to hold water. What was next to it made Steve sick.

   There was a body lying on the floor, face down. Steve honestly could not be one hundred percent certain that this body was Tony, and to be honest he hoped it wasn't, but he had a feeling in his gut. The figure's chest rose and fell by small increments, taking shallow breaths too far in between. It was covered in bruises and blood and scars. His head rested on one arm and Steve could not see it, but the other was out in front of him was encircled in what looked to be an iron shackle. It was attacked to the floor by a rusty chain. Steve guessed the other was secured the same way.

   Taking a deep breath, Steve stepped toward the still form.

   "Tony?" he whispered. When he got no response, he called a little louder.

   Receiving no reaction, Steve crouched behind him and gently tapped his shoulder. At the touch, the man jerked away, back as far as the restraints would let him go. Steve let out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. It was Tony.

   Leaning his back against the back wall, chest heaving hard, arms stretched out in front of him, pulling the chains taut, sat Tony. His eyes were wide and moving up and down Steve's body, studying him. He obviously had not realized quite yet that his new companion in the room was there to help. 

   "Tony," Steve said quietly, trying to keep his voice from cracking, "It's me. It's Steve."

   Tony still looked distrusting. In the dim light, Steve figured, it must be hard to make out his face. Not knowing what else to do, or any other way to show he could be trusted, Steve moved forward across the floor slowly. He reached out and broke the ring connecting the chains to the floor. Tony's arms, lacking anything to hold them up, fell against his body, where he quickly wrapped them around himself. The chains clinked as they moved. 

   "Tony?" Steve tried again, to which the other man simply hugged himself tighter and stared.

   Finally, an idea struck him. Steve slowly, so as not to spook his friend, pulled a lighter out of his pocket. He held it up in front of his face and lit it so that the light would illuminate his features and allow Tony to see him.

   "See?" Steve said calmly, pleadingly, "It's me."

   The response was instant. Without a word, Tony uncurled himself and made his way as quickly as he could in his weakened state to Steve. Tony collapsed against the bigger man and wrapped his arms around him, the chains still jingling as he went. Tony buried his face in Captain America's shoulder and started crying. Not knowing how to react, Steve wrapped his arms around his friend and held him close. Sensing a presence over his shoulder, he turned to see Natasha standing in the doorway. For the first time since he had known her, she looked sad. Heartbroken.

   Nobody knew what to say.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony comes home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is short and not up to my usual snuff, but I am in the library and the feeling of people reading over my shoulder is CREEPY.

   Steve sat there for awhile silently, until he felt Tony go slack against him. Nervous for a moment, he checked his friend's breathing. Tony had just passed out. Steve gently lifted him and stood up. He was in shock at how little his normally larger than life teammate had become. Steve turned toward the door, gave Natasha a sad look, and walked out the door. He carried Tony down the stairs and outside. All the agents turned when they heard the door open, and all adopted shocked looks on their faces at the sight that greeted them.

   Clint came swooping down from the roof of the building across the street, and came jogging toward them. Natasha stepped forward to intercept, giving Tony his space.

   They heard shouting and noticed a reporter filming just up the block. Clint and Natasha ran over to make the required threats while Steve made his way onto the jet. Once on board, Steve lay his friend down on the cot, and sat down beside him. Very soon Natasha and Clint climbed aboard and into the pilots' seats, throwing sideways, worried glances at their new passenger. The rest of the rescue team climbed aboard and the Quinjet took off.

   Tony slept the entire ride back to the tower, Steve never leaving his side. He let Tony out of his sight once, and it was never going to happen again. Realistically he knew that was an impossible feat, but he was hopped on adrenaline and didn't stop to think about the promise he was making to himself. Soon the Quinjet landed on the landing bay at the tower, and Tony's cot was rolled off the plane into the Med Bay. Steve followed as long as they would allow,  but once they reached the examination room, the nurses booted him out. For privacy matters they said. None of them knew that Steve had seen everything already. And despite wanting to be there for his friend, he complied because it was something he never wanted to see again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony is... not doing well.

   He kicked them out. After one week in the hospital, only 6 of which were spent awake, Tony kicked them out. All of them, except Pepper. On some level, Steve understood. The man had been through a lot. And yet there was some small part of Steve that was angry at him. Steve had saved him, had dragged him out and brought him to salvation, and Tony had kicked him out?

   Steve took a steadying breath. Not Tony's fault, he told himself over and over. They had been hovering. Always at least one of them by his side, sometimes more but never less. And that one constant was always Steve. Once Pepper arrived on  her plane, she stayed as well. But not anymore. The doctor had come in to tell them what Tony's injuries were, and Tony had shooed them away. Steve figured they would have been allowed back in after the doctor was finished, but no. Still, they remained on the outside. All except Pepper.

   Tony was released the next day. They tried to follow him to the Tower so they could keep an eye on them. Pepper informed them he wanted to be left alone. The next day, he kicked her out too. She said that it was because she was too 'clingy', but Steve could tell she was lying. He let it go.

   Steve tried calling the Tower at least once a day. JARVIS was always the one to answer. And the answer was always the same. "I am afraid Mr. Stark is indisposed at the moment. I will have to take a message."

   So, unable to sleep with worry, Steve lay on his back on the couch in his apartment. He needed to know how Tony was doing. Presumably not well, but Steve had no idea how much 'not well'. Tony could be contemplating suicide for all he knew. With that horrendous thought having crossed his mind, Steve decided to try calling again. Still, JARVIS answered.

   Later that evening, Steve was watching a commercial for a toaster. He couldn't help thinking that Tony's homemade toaster would trump this one any day. And then, it hit him. His toaster. It was broken.

   Colonel James Rhodes had told him once that Tony loved tinkering and fixing things when he was trying to keep his mind off things. Maybe, Steve thought, it would be enough to  let him in whilst the man was allowing no visitors. The poor guy was probably running himself out down there in that workshop of his, looking for tasks to keep his mind off of things. And there was a lot to keep his mind off of.  

   Phoning again, Steve heard JARVIS pick up with the same reply. But this time, he cut the AI off.

   "Message, yeah yeah, I know. Can you please tell Tony that my toaster is broken, and all I know how to make it toast. So... I'm kind of in a bind. Could you ask him if he would maybe... fix it for me?"

   JARVIS was silent for a moment, then came a short, "One moment sir."

  Elevator music started to play as he was put on hold. Steve would of found it funny were he not so desperate. Then it ceased and the smooth British voice came back through the phone.

   "Mr. Stark says he will receive you tomorrow night at dinner time. He did not specify what time dinner time was." JARVIS sounded, to Steve's amazement, relieved.

   "Should I bring food?" Steve asked skeptically, wondering if the vague 'dinner time' was a trick.

   "I do believe so sir, Mr. Stark has not eaten since he has returned from the hospital."

   "Jeez." Steve let out a breath, "What should I bring?"

   "Mr. Stark does enjoy a good pizza every now and again sir."

   "Pizza. Got it. Thanks JARVIS."

   "No, Captain Rogers. Thank you."

   "For what?" Steve queried.

   "For taking care of Mr. Stark when I cannot. I can only do so much as he will allow. And seeing as he does not allow help very often, I can do nothing. It is tremendously painful to only be able to observe him like this and do nothing." JARVIS sounded sad. Steve knew how he felt.

   "Of course. I would do anything for him." Steve answered honestly.

   "I know you would sir. And seeing as I hold the same conviction, I will endeavor to do all I can to aid you in assisting him."

   Steve could not help but smile, "Thanks JARVIS."

   "You are welcome, and again, thank you as well. Good night." Then, silence.

   Steve felt better now. Felt better enough to sleep at the least. But there was still so much churning in his head. Tony hadn't eaten since the hospital? That was a week ago. Had Tony slept? Presumably. Even Tony Stark has to sleep sometimes. But how long? Definitely not enough. If the man wasn't eating, he probably wasn't sleeping either. Probably staying up working until his body gave up and collapsed on the lab floor. Steve's brain continued on through these scenarios that Steve had no proof of, and odds are never would, unless he some how got Tony to let him in on more than just the Tower. To let him in on how he was feeling. But Tony did not do feelings.

   The one thing Steve had to comfort him was that he would see Tony tomorrow and could find out for himself. The last thought that went through his brain before he fell asleep was that he had forgotten to ask what kind of pizza.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, just wanted to inform you, and apologize, I will not be updating at all during November. It is National Novel Writing Month and I need to write 50,000 words in that time so I will be devoting all of my precious writing hours to it. I will see you in December with an extra special chapter. Until then my sweet ones, adieu.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve finally sees Tony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm back with a short snippet cause I had 30 minutes in the library and thought 'this isn't enough to write anything for my novel. BUT I CAN FANFIC!'  
> So here ya go! Missed you btw!

  When time came for Steve to finally visit Tony, he felt nervous. He was worried the man would simply take the toaster and kick him out. Or, not even see him. Maybe just have a robot pick it up or something.

  It turns out all his worrying was for nothing, because he was allowed onto the elevator, and Jarvis carried him up. He held the boxed up toaster in one arm, and a pizza in the other. I am a juggling monkey after all, Steve thought, trying to make a joke to lighten the mood in the elevator. When it dinged, and the door opened, Steve stepped out into the common room. Walking through, he made his way to the kitchen, where he set the pizza down on the counter, the toaster beside it.

  “Jarvis? Where’s Tony?” Steve called, looking toward the ceiling.

  “Mr. Stark will be down in a moment. He is simply… cleaning up.” The tone sounded suspicious to Steve’s ears. What was Tony cleaning up?

  Soon, the elevator dinged again, and Tony came walking out. Apparently Tony had been attempting to clean up himself. He hadn't succeeded, or tried very hard at all apparently. He didn’t look like Tony was supposed to look. He was haggard and tired, which in and of itself was not unusual, but this time it was different. There were bags under his eyes, as though he had not slept since he got out of the hospital. Which, is Steve recalled correctly, the man more or less hadn’t. He was wearing a burgundy sweatshirt, the sleeves pulled down over his hands, and his hair was in a horrendous mess. Not the typical style mess that was indicative of Tony Stark.

  “Tony?” Steve called across the room when he got no greeting.

  Tony looked up as though seeing Steve for the first time, then headed tentatively toward him, “Hey,” he mumbled.

  Steve didn’t know where to go next, and was saved by Jarvis. God bless that man. Or… computer?

  “Sir, Captain Rogers has brought his broken toaster, as well as your favorite pizza as payment.”

  Tony was quiet for a minute, before he headed toward the counter. He lifted the pizza box lid, looked at it for a minute, and then moved on to the toaster. He lifted it out and set it beside the box.

  “How did it break?” he asked, inspecting it carefully.

  “I don’t know. It just wouldn’t work one morning.”

  “Not at all?”

  “No.”

  Tony investigated it for a moment longer, turning it this way and that. His sleeve slid down, revealing bandages wrapped around his wrists. Steve knew they were from the restraints, but they went too far down his arm to just be from that.

  “What happened to your arm?” Steve couldn’t help but ask, worried.

  Tony glanced down, pulled his sleeve back up, and mumbled, “Stupid receptors don’t work.”

  “What?”

  “The receptors, to call the suit…” he leaned against the counter, staring at the ground, fidgeting with his sleeves, “Apparently they can’t stand electric shock. Which is… not good. I had to dig them out.”

  “You dug them out?!” Steve said shocked, a little too loudly.

  Tony looked defensive, still not meeting his eyes, “Yes.”

  “Are you ok?” Steve asked, realizing too late that in context it was a stupid question.

  Tony almost laughed, almost, but instead shrugged, “Yea.”

  Liar, Steve thought.

  “Have you been working all day?” Steve asked. All night? All week?

  Tony nodded silently.

  “How about the toaster waits huh? Why don’t you take a break?” Steve offered, not wanting to overstep his boundaries. Tony looked apprehensive, so he continued.

  “We could watch a movie? I haven’t seen Star Wars yet. And pizza is a good movie snack.”

  Tony glanced at the pizza, and must have decided he was too hungry to turn it down because he nodded.

  “Alright,” Tony said quietly, trying to sound like himself again but failing, “Let’s abolish the crime that is not viewing Star Wars. It’s a classic man.”

 Steve grabbed a plate, putting a couple slices on, and handed it to Tony, before getting some for himself. They headed into the living room.

  “Evidently,” Steve said, as he plopped onto the couch and the room darkened as Jarvis began the movie, “So am I."

   That time, Tony actually managed a quiet chuckle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh it looks so sparse! So many single sentence paragraphs! UGh
> 
> And is it just me or am I using more big words than usual? Huh...


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve begins to think. That's new. (Just kidding.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long guys. I know I promised to be back in December, which I technically am, but later in December than I thought. Anywho... I finished writing my book, and then went right into editing it, so that took awhile. Whatevs, I am back now! Woo! Enjoy!

   Tony fell asleep during Star Wars. Had anyone else done so, under normal situations, he would have named it a crime. But, Tony had seen the movies countless times, and hadn't slept in he didn't even know how long. So, sleeping he did. The odd thing was, he fell asleep on Steve's lap. Not to say that's a bad thing, it was just odd. Tony wasn't much for physical contact. Before he was kidnapped, and especially after. Steve figured he was just too sleep deprived to care. The only issue Steve had was that, after the movie was over, he couldn't get up. And he really had to pee. But... he didn't want to disturb a tired Tony. Doing so might, in the worst case, shatter the fragile trust he had managed to build.

   While Steve sat there, he ran through a scenario in his head. Well, not a scenario so much as that he was making it up, but a scenario that had happened. The night Tony was taken.

   Something had been bothering Steve in the back of his mind, but he could never really place his finger on it. But now, watching Tony sleep, it suddenly struck him. Tony hadn't called them.

   He had had time. They saw the footage from outside that window. Tony had run away. He could have at least placed a call, sent out a distress signal. Even if they didn't have time answer, or for him to explain, they would have known something was wrong. Maybe even saved some time of having Pepper beginning to worry, and they might have gotten him out of there a bit sooner. The only solution Steve could think of, was that Tony had decided he didn't need help.

   Steve felt anger bubbling up. All of this might never have happened if Tony hadn't decided he didn't need his team. If Tony hadn't decided it would be better for him to go off on his own.

   But Steve quickly squashed it down. He couldn't blame Tony. Don't blame the victim. It's something people just don't do. Or, rather, shouldn't do. Plenty of people do it. But, Steve didn't even know if that was really what happened. Even so, he still felt like Tony didn't trust him. Like he should be angry. He just couldn't figure out _who_ he should be angry at. He couldn't place his finger on it. He decided to just be angry with the dicks that did this to his friend.

   Speaking of which... the team had somebody to find. As soon as Steve was out of here, he was going to SHIELD and demanding they let him help in the search for the man who did this. All the other culprits were dead, and Steve felt strangely elated at that knowledge, but one was still free and it wasn't enough. He was going to point this anger somewhere and let it fly like on of Clint's arrows.

   Steve managed to sit in his righteous fury, and full bladder, for about another twenty minutes before he couldn't take it anymore and had to move Tony. The man had his head resting on Steve's thigh, and was snoring softly. Steve gently put his hand under Tony's shoulder and tried to lift him slowly, hoping to scoot out. Like someone trying to get a cat off their lap. The only problem was that Tony is evidently not a sound sleeper. As soon as Steve touched him, he woke up. And it wasn't a pleasant awakening either.

   He rolled off the couch and stood up quickly, but he lost his balance and plopped onto the glass coffee table. Luckily, it didn't break. But Tony did cut his palm on the sharp corner. Steve immediately began apologizing, saying how he hadn't meant to scare his teammate. He really hadn't. But Tony was too out of it at the moment to hear him. He scrambled backwards off the table, until hew hit the floor and kept going until his back was pressed again the wall. He held his bleeding hand to his chest, staring wide eyed at Steve.

   "Tony," Steve said gently, hoping to talk him down, "Tony, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I just had to pee and you were asleep and I had to-"

   He stopped when he noticed it wasn't working, deciding to try another tactic.

   "Tony, your hand is bleeding," Steve said, causing to Tony to glance down at his hand. _Good,_ he thought, _I'm making progress._ "Can I bandage it up for you? I promise I won't hurt you."

   Tony stared at him, flinching back when Steve attempted to take a step toward him.

   "JARVIS?" Steve called, hoping the AI would give him a hand.

   "Sir, I do believe it is in best interest for you to allow Captain Rogers to assist you. If he tries anything, I guarantee I will tranquilize him," the AI spoke from seemingly nowhere. _Seems a bit extreme,_ Steve thought. But Tony blinked up at the ceiling, and then nodded. Steve smiled.

   "I'll be right back," he promised, and left to find a first aid kit. JARVIS told him where it was, and he came rushing back. But remembered to slow down upon entering the room, so as not to spook out Tony, who had not moved from the place Steve left him.

   Steve knelt down in front of him, and opened the kit.

   "May I see your hand?" Steve offered, holding his own out. Tony slowly held his out, not making a sound. Steve grabbed a swab from the kit and wiped the blood clean, causing the smaller man to jerk his hand away.

   "I know it hurts, sir," JARVIS spoke, "But it is for the best. It could get an infection if you do no cleanse it."

   Tony looked up at the ceiling for a moment before returning his hand to Steve's. The soldier finished cleaning the wound, and then looked at it.

   "It think it might need to stitches, Tony," Steve said quietly, "Is it okay if I stitch it up?"

   Tony looked afraid for a minute, more so than Steve had seen him yet. But he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded his head in quick, jerking movements. Steve took that as a yes, and grabbed the needle and thread. As Steve stitched up his friends hand, Tony refused to open his eyes. As soon as he was done, he wrapped Tony's hand in a bandage and let him have it back.

   "All done. See? That wasn't so bad?" Steve said, rising and hold his hand out to help Tony up. The man took the offer and stood up.

   "What do ya say we get you to bed, huh? It's been a long day," Steve tried, hoping it worked. If Steve was the reason Tony only got an hour of sleep tonight, after countless hours of wakefulness, then he would never forgive himself. Luckily, Tony nodded.

   Whether or not the man was actually going to fall asleep was another story, but at least he agreed to go to bed. Steve helped him get ready, and then went back into the living room. He didn't want to overstay his welcome, but he didn't want to leave Tony alone either. And he hadn't been told to leave. So...

   He decided to sleep on the couch. A bodyguard of sorts. For whatever reason, he felt like this was all his fault, and that he was going to do anything to make sure it never happened again.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony gets some news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized that almost every note before chapters has been an apology. Well, I am not going to do that anymore. I am going to do my job and write! Woo!! Commitment feels good!

That next morning, Steve was woken by JARVIS. Morning alarm, like JARVIS used to do before Steve had been booted out. Evidently, Tony had been awake for hours before Steve got up. Which, the soldier wasn't too happy about. Steve hadn't gotten much sleep. So, how much had Tony gotten?

The AI informed Steve that Tony had not eaten yet this morning, and that the man might need some... coercing doing so.

He found his friend already down in his workshop, tinkering with something Steve would never understand.

"Morning," Steve greeted when Tony didn't acknowledge his appearance. Tony froze for a moment when he heard Steve's voice, but must of realized it was him because he appeared to calm down almost immediately. He lifted his welding mask and turned to wave at Steve.

"How long you been up?" Steve asked, trying to not sound too worried.

"Not too long, mother hen. Calm down."

Steve knew it was a lie. But he was so relieved that that sounded like the old Tony that he didn't even address it. He walked over to his friend to see what he was doing. Tony seemed a bit uncomfortable at the close proximity, but said nothing on the matter.

"What are you making?" Steve questioned.

"Just upgrading the Iron Man suit. It has some kinks," Tony responded quietly, setting down his torch and walking across the workshop to grab a bottle of water off of a table.

They stood there in silence for a few minutes. Tony drinking, Steve leaning awkwardly against a desk. Steve didn't try to follow him, because he didn't want to overstep his boundaries. Tony seemed as though he wanted to say something, but felt awkward doing so. Finally, he let it out.

"Will you come to the doctor with me later today?" Tony asked, almost bashfully. Like he wasn't comfortable asking for help. Knowing Tony, that was probably the truth.

"Why?" Steve asked, worried even more now, "Something wrong?"

"No. No," Tony was quick to assure, "Or I hope not."

"What does that mean?"

"Well..." Tony answered, twisting the cap on his water bottle nervously, "After... well, you know, they did some tests to test for some certain... diseases or infections. And, uh, the tests came in today. I'm supposed to go get the results."

"Oh," Steve said, realization dawning on him, "I see. Um, yeah, sure, I'll go with you. No problem. I don't think I have anything planned today."

Steve knew for a fact he did not have plans today. Well, he did. They had been to look after Tony, but his friend didn't need to know that. It didn't matter anyway, because even if he had had plans, he would have dropped them to give Tony the small comfort of not having to find out his results alone. Good or bad, he'd have to have somebody to share it with.

Tony seemed to relax a little bit when Steve answered him, and he set his now empty bottle down.

"Thanks," he said, "We have to go in about an hour. So, maybe get dressed and eat?"

"Alright deal, under one condition," Steve responded, "As long as you promise to eat something too."

"I already-" Tony started.

"No, you didn't. JARVIS told me."

"Traitor," Tony whispered, before looking up at Steve and sighing, "Fine."

* * *

An hour later, Steve and Tony found themselves in the waiting room at the SHIELD med bay. Since they were the ones that had received Tony when they got him back, they were the ones with his results.

Tony's knee was bouncing up and down, the way people tend to when they are worried about something. Steve was nervous as well, but trying not to show it outwardly. He wanted to be strong for his friend. He felt like he owed it to him.

"It'll be fine," Steve reassured him, resting his hand gently on his shoulder. Tony stiffened momentarily, but relaxed quickly. Even so, Steve moved his hand.

The doctor came out fifteen minutes later and greeted them.

"Good morning. I am Doctor Wong. If you recall, I was your physician last time you were here?" the man asked kindly.

"Yea, I remember," Tony answered as he and Steve rose from their chairs.

"If you'll follow me," Doctor Wong gestured with his hand, and they went into an office space. The placard on the desk read the name of the doctor, and their were two chairs in front of the desk. Steve and Tony sat in those, while Doctor Wong brought his chair around from behind his desk, to set it in front. So he could be closer to his patients. He always felt the desk created a barrier.

"Now," he said, crossing his legs and setting a clipboard on his lap, "If you recall you were tested for certain-"

"Please just tell us the results," Tony interrupted, clearly impatient. He was staring at his hands in his lap.

"If you wish. Are you sure you want Captain Rogers to be here?"

Tony nodded silently.

"Very well," Doctor Wong began, "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but..."

The doctor paused, trying to find the words to break the news to his patient. And Steve saw Tony clench his hands in his lap.

"But you tested positive for Hepatitis C."

Tony closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Steve didn't know how it would be received, but he had to do something to comfort his friend. He rested his hand on Tony's shoulder again. Apparently, it was the right thing to do, because he leaned into the touch slightly.

"What it is is an infection that can cause a form of liver disease. Some people do not develop symptoms, but if you do you may feel fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, pain the abdomen. Weight loss and depression often accompany Hep C, so that is something to look out for. Unfortunately, there is no cure. However, sometimes medication does help to lessen symptoms. Also recommended would be to avoid alcohol. I am going to prescribe you some antiviral medication to help. I really am sorry."

The doctor got up and headed toward the door with a, "let me give you a minute," before leaving the room. As soon as he was gone, Tony lost it. He put his head in his hands and cried. He hadn't cried yet since they found him. Not really. But now it was too much. He couldn't hold it in anymore and just let it out. Steve got up and knelt in front of Tony's chair, wrapping his friend in a hug, pulling him close.

Tony allowed it, leaning into the comfort being offered him.

"What do I do now?" Tony sobbed into Steve's shoulder, "They're taking everything from me! I don't know w-what to do."

For all Steve wished he had the answer that would take all of Tony's pain away, he had nothing.

"I'm sorry," Steve whispered, "I don't know."


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I was not going to apologize anymore... but I owe you one for real this time.  
> Three weeks no communication! How dare I!  
> But you know, holidays, vacations, guinea pig deaths. A lot going on.  
> Anyway! I am back now, and this is (I promise) last apology. And I, in fact, am writing this on my phone because you have waited long enough and I couldn't get to a computer. And, btw, i hate writing on my phone. So I must love you guys?

   Steve took Tony home once the Doctor had given them the proper informational pamphlets and medications. The smaller man was silent the entire drive home, and immediately curled up on the couch, pulling a blanket over himself. Steve tried to get him to eat, actually go to sleep, or even speak. But it was all to no avail, and the man remained silent.

   The Captain didn't know what to do. So, despite still not having an answer on the food front, he made Tony a cheeseburger anyway, and left on the coffee table by the couch. Steve supposed it was a plus that the man wasn't hiding in his workshop. But he didn't know whether or not to count it as a good thing. On the one hand, he wasn't hiding. But, if he had been hiding, at least he would have been doing something. Instead, he just lay there on the couch, staring into space.

   Steve wasn't complaining, and he wasn't trying to judge Tony's coping method. He knew the man was definitely justified. But... he was worried. He felt another feeling to though. Guilt. He had been feeling it since they found Tony. Scratch that. Since they found out he was missing. And for some strange reason, he couldn't figure out why. It wasn't as if he had hurt Tony. Right? What could he have done?

   It was out of this guilty feeling that he called the Avengers. The rest of them anyway. It may not have been his best idea, but it actually went over better than it had in his head, so that was a start. 

   Thor, Bruce, Clint, and Natasha all entered the tower together. Riding in the elevator up to the floor Jarvis informed them their friends were on. 

   Naturally, they were overwhelmed with concern for their friend. They hadn't seen him since they rescued him, and he hadn't been looking so good then either. Tony had kicked them out, denied access.

   By some miracle they still had not been given the details of, Steve had been granted a return, and then he had gone radio silence too.

   Basically, they had a lot ofTony-centric mother-henning to do, and a bone to pick with a certain Super Soldier.

  Steve met them at the door outside the living room.

   "Steven Grant Rogers," Natasha cut in before any greetings could commence, "You better have a good explanation for going MIA on us like that, after what's happened!"

"She used your full name," Clint joked, an attempt to lighten the mood, "You're in trouble now."

   "I know," Steve apologized, ignoring Clint, "I'm sorry! I meant to call, I did! But... things got complicated. And Tony needed attention. I couldn't call anybody else to help, he wanted to be alone! The only way I got in here was by asking him to fix my toaster!" 

   "Your toaster?" Thor asked, confused 

   "Yes," Steve sighed.

   Natasha narrowed her eyes, "Then why call us now? I doubt he all of a sudden wants company. And if he did, you wouldn't have stopped us outside the door."

   Steve took a deep breath, shutting his eyes momentarily. He hadn't thought this through. He hadn't thought that maybe Tony didn't want the team to know. Hell, until now, he hadn't even thought that Tony might not want them here at all. But he hadn't known what to do! Since Steve had been staying with Tony, since... they got him back, he had never seen the other man just stop and do nothing! He'd been quiet, but never still.

   Now, how much should he tell the team?

   "I... can't exactly say," he rushed to continue when Natasha looked like she'd interrupt, "He asked me to go to the doctor with him this morning, because he was scared to go alone and he had to go. And... since we've been back, he's just been lying on the couch. He won't move, he won't talk, he won't do anything! I didn't know what to do!"

   "What did he to go to the doctor for?" Bruce asked, pushing his glasses up his nose, "What did they say to him? Do you know?"

   "I know," Steve said slowly, sighing, "But I can't tell you. It's for him to share, if he ever decides to."

   The team was quiet for a moment. Most of them could guess the general idea of what was bothering Tony, but none knew for sure. And Steve was gonne keep it that way.

  "Well," Clint broke the silence, "Since you called us all down here, can we see him?"

   "Sure," Steve said quietly, "But I can't promise how welcoming he'll be."

   With that, they all went into the living room together. Tony was exaclty as Steve had left him, lying on the couch, blanket pulled up over his shoulder. His eyes were closed now at least, but he wasn't asleep. Steve knew he wouldn't sleep.

   "Tony?" Natasha called softly, walking over to stand in front of the couch, but keeping a safe distance so as not to crowd him. 

   He opened his eyes slowly, as if in a daze, then jumped back upon seeing all the new faces that had not been there when he had closed his eyes. The blanket fell as he clambered to sit up and face who he deemed momentarily to be his attackers. 

  "It's okay, Tony," Steve said calmly, "It's just the team. They were worried about you."

   After the frightened man seemed to realize who it was, they could see his body visibly untense itself. Natasha slowly moved toward the couch and, upon seeing him not react badly to her movements, sat beside Tony on the arm of the couch. 

   "How you been buddy?" Clint asked, kneeling on the floor in front of the couch. Tony didn't say anything, just watched his friend silently. 

   "Take that as 'great', then?" Clint tried joking again, his usual way out of an awkward situation. To his and everyone else's relief, Tony actually gave a small smile in return. 

   Bruce bent down and picked up the blanket from the floor. He wrapped it carefully around Tony's shoulders again, and sat down on the couch beside his fellow scientist. Tony eyed him warily for only a moment, before Steve could see the trust Tony felt for Bruce take over, and he relaxed.

   "My friend, I have brought the popped tarts!" Thor declared, and Steve noticed for the first time that the Gos was holding a box of the iced pastries, "If you wish, I will make you some."

   Tony smiled again, another welcome sight, and even nodded slightly. Thor took this as a good sign, and pat Steve on the shoulder with a smile as he headed for the kitchen. Those sitting on the couch started up a conversation. Something about what flavor of poptart is best. When asked, Tony even answered with a silent, 'Chocolate'. But Steve wasn't sure. He wasn't listening. 

   He was too busy watching his team. In that moment, seeing them all together, he thought that things just might turn out okay. They were all careful to remain in Tony's line of sight, and never touched him unless it was blatantly obvious he was okay with it. 

   They were good people. There was a possibility Tony's hepatitis was not chronic and would go away. Even if it didn't, he'd have his friends to help him through it. And sooner or later, he wouldn't be so scared anymore. It might take days, weeks, or maybe even months. But, sooner or later, it would happen. How could things not be okay? Except...

   If things were definitely going to be okay... why did he still feel guilty?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question: who's still reading this?   
> I used to have a beautiful commenter and they went away! I miss you!   
> And I love all of you who answer the above question (in a comment or in your thoughts) with a big excited "ME!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG! I posted this earlier, and came just now to see if I had any comments, and I was like, "what the hell?!"  
> I UPDATED THE WRONG FIC! I POSTED THIS CHAPTER ON A OTHER FIC! I CAN'T BELIEVE I DID THAT!!
> 
> Well, here it is now I guess. Lol. Ugh. I'm an idiot.

   They were all watching a movie together. Six superheroes snuggled together on a single couch, watching Finding Nemo. It had been Thor's insistence. Apparently, it was "a classic that required numerous watchings to truly be appreciated." None of them were about to argue. It was a good movie, after all. And it had a decent, not too dramatic plot. Not likely to drudge up any recent, or even not-so-recent, memories. 

 

   Even though they all occupied the same couch, the team had somehow managed to give Tony some space. There was about an inch on either side of him. Granted, that was not a lot in general. But on a couch, it was pretty decent. 

 

   Actually, Clint was sitting on the floor in front of the couch. But, since he was taking up the leg room Tony would have needed had he put his legs down, they were counting him as being on the same space of furniture. 

 

   Natasha was still perched on the arm rest beside Tony, while Bruce was sitting next to him. Thor was next to Bruce, munching on a packet of pop tarts. It was his second actually, Steve had given him his after declining the offer made by the God. The Super Soldier was sitting rather sullenly on the opposite armrest beside Thor, watching his team more than the movie. 

 

   Tony was still kind of curled up under a blanket. But, rather than appearing scared or out of it anymore, he looked like he was half asleep. His eyes were drooping and pretty soon they closed entirely, and his breathing leveled. Steve was just glad the man felt safe enough to sleep around other people. And soon he found himself wondering how long it had been since the last time he could. Even before he was taken by those... men. 

 

   Thinking about it, most of the team had fallen asleep at some point during team bonding movie nights, or some other team event. But never Tony. No matter how tired the man looked, he never slept in front of his team. 

 

   Either way, Steve was glad he could now. 

 

   Finding Nemo finished, and the credits started rolling. Just then, Natasha's phone rang. The noise woke up Tony with a start, but he seemed to relax again almost immediately when he realized where he was. Or, as close to relaxed as he cold get these days.

 

   The spy apologized and left the room to take the call.

 

   "Fury," she whispered back over her shoulder when the team shot her questioning looks, right as she slipped out the door.

 

   Steve raised an eyebrow at Bruce, who wore a matching expression.

 

   The team distinctly remembered that Fury had said he would only call, if he had information on Tony's missing kidnapper. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that my reign of stupidity is (hopefully) over, I just wanted to say thanks to those who commented on the last chapter. Anx to the person who commented on my other fic to alert me of my stupidity. You saved my hide!   
> Anyway, keep em comimg! I love to hear from yall. It means a lot.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha! I am on time!  
> For those that do not know, I am attempting to set up a Monday-update schedule. It obviously has not been working stellarly thus far, but we are getting there.

   "What's going on?" Tony asked quietly, sitting up, the blanket falling off his shoulders. He could sense the sudden tension.

   "Nothing," Steve assured him, not wanting to upset the man, "Natasha just got a phone call. Fury has something to tell her."

   "What?" Tony asked skeptically, not believing the assurances. The room was way to tense to simply be a phone call.

   Steve opened his mouth to answer, but found nothing coming out. Luckily, he was saved.

   "We don't know yet, silly," Clint spoke up, "She's still on the phone."

   Tony still looked unconvinced, and he didn't settle back down, but he let the matter drop. For now at least. Natasha came back in ten minutes later to find all eyes in the room on her. 

   "Fury," she said by way of explanation, pointing at her phone. 

   "We know," Bruce said, "What did he want?"

   Natasha stared at Bruce for a moment, debating how to relay her information. Yes, it had been concerning what they thought it was about. But... not in the way they had been hoping.

   "Fury says that they need to debrief Tony," she answered, looking only at the person in question, gauging his reaction, "He says it's been long enough and that he should be debriefed before too much time passes. That Tony might forget key details or other important stuff. And that the information will significantly help with the search for the... perpetrators."

   "Debrief?" Steve said when nobody else responded, "He's hardly ready for that! Tell Fury to wait."

   "Cap ignoring orders?" Clint joked, to lighten the mood, "This is serious."

   "Yes," Steve responded hotly, "It is. He needs more time to recover! Fury can't ask him to-"

   "I hardly think tha-" Thor tried.

   "Guys! It isn't rea-" 

   "Shut up!" Someone shouted. They were all surprised to see that it was Tony.

   They all turned to look at him.

   "I'm right here you know," he said quietly, in stark contrast to his previous outburst.

   "Sorry," Steve muttered, while the rest remained silent. 

   Tony turned to Natasha, "If I do the debrief, will it help find them?" 

   Natasha nodded silently. Steve noticed he said 'them', and realized that nobody had told Tony that a majority of his captors were dead. Now perhaps wasn't the best time. Tony thought about it for a second. Steve could practically see the gears turning in his head. Debating whether or not he wanted to put himself through this.

   "Alright," he said finally, "I'll do it."

   "Tony," Steve tried, "You don't have to."

   "Yes, I do," Tony answered firmly.

   "Alright," Natasha said, typing onto her phone, "I'll tell Fury."

   "Who's going to question him?" Bruce asked, trying to catch Natasha's eye contact.

   "He'll probably assign a impartial agent," Natasha said then looked at Tony, "But if you would prefer one of us, then I can pull some strings."

   Again, Tony went quiet to think for a minute. Steve imagined what could be going through his head. He didn't want his team to know the details... but, he also didn't want to talk to a stranger. Steve could understand.

   "Um..." he said slowly, unsure, "I think... can you do it, Natasha?"

   "I'll ask," Natasha said unwaveringly, looking back down at her phone to relay the question.

   The room lapsed into silence and, without the problem to work through anymore, Steve felt the overwhelming guilt creep back in. He couldn't figure out why he of all people felt guilty for Tony's situation. He hadn't done anything wrong. It was starting to make him angry. He didn't want to be angry, this whole thing was pointless and he couldn't figure out why he felt this way. But, despite himself, he felt the anger grow.

   "He says it's fine. But he is going to give me scripted questions. Is that alright?" Natasha asked after a minute.

   Tony sighed, "Yea."

   "Alright. We'll do this tomorrow morning. We have to be at SHIELD at oh-eight-hundred hours," the spy pocketed her phone.

   "W-wait," Tony said suddenly, "We... have to leave?"

   Steve noticed that he all of a sudden looked worried.

   Natasha nodded, "Yes. I'm sorry. Fury isn't wavering on that aspect."

   Tony looked down at his lap and nodded silently. Steve stood up from the couch and came back with a glass of water and handed it to Tony. The man took it with a nod of thanks and gulped it down. Bruce glanced at his watch and raised his eyebrows.

   "It's later than I expected. Tony, you should probably get some rest. You don't look so well," the doctor said, examining his friend.

   It was true, Steve observed. Tony did look sick. It appeared he was starting to show some symptoms of the disease after all. Or, Steve thought optimistically, it's just a cold. But, he knew he was wrong.

   "Yea," Steve agreed, "And you have a big day tomorrow. Come on."

   The soldier helped his friend up and managed to get him to bed. After that, all of the Avengers retired to their own rooms. They didn't really have anymore to discuss, and they were all tired as well. Steve tossed and turned for awhile, as appeared to be his habit as of late. He spent a majority of the night trying to squash the rage he felt rising.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! We are getting closer and closer to the end. I don't know exactly how close we are yet, I haven't got that far. But we are getting closer!  
> Keep commenting guys! I love to hear your beautiful voices. Even though it is over the computer and not really audio at all... Hmm...


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I decided to update early because someone left a comment saying that they couldn't wait for the next chapter, and I had some free time! So yay!
> 
> Also, I'm excited for this chapter too! Because I don't think I have outright said what happened to him yet... it's kind of just implied. Somewhat. So, now you guys get to know! Finally!
> 
> IMPORTANT NOTE:  
> subject might get touchy in this chapter. No, it definitely does. So beware of the previous archive warnings and tags on this fic. If that kind of stuff triggers you, I suggest not reading this chapter. Thanks.

   Steve got up at six in the morning. He had probably slept for a total of three hours, and he was tired. But he didn't think he was going to be going back to sleep anytime soon, and he had to be up within the hour anyway. So, up he went. 

   He went out for his morning run to blow off some steam. He had been neglecting to do so lately, but this morning he took it back up. Why he chose now, he didn't know. Steve figured he wanted to try and burn off the anger he was starting to feel before Tony had to do the debrief in a few hours. He would need to be there for his friend, which he couldn't do properly if he was too busy being angry.

   When he returned to the tower, it was 7a.m. and the kitchen was empty except for Tony, who was sitting at the kitchen counter, sipping a cup of coffee. From the looks of him, he had gotten about as much sleep as Steve. Maybe less. Steve poured himself a mug and sat down beside him.

   "Hey," he greeted, "You ready?"

   Tony didn't answer him at first, just looked down into his mug. 

   "What time is it?" he asked finally.

   Steve glanced down at his watch, "Almost seven-thirty."

   Tony sighed and stood up, pushing his stool back in, "Natasha says we have to get going soon."

  "Are you sure that you want to do this?" Steve asked, turning on his own stool to face Tony.

   The man shrugged, "I don't want to. But, you guys say it will help find them. And... I really don't want them running loose on the streets. So, this is what I gotta do."

   Tony turned to leave the room and, as Steve watched him go, he couldn't help thinking how brave Tony was.

* * *

 

   All the Avengers had come along. Only Natasha was going to ask the questions, but the rest of them were there for 'moral support.'

   So, that was how the rest of the Avengers ended up sitting in a viewing room outside the debriefing room. It looked more like an interrogation room than a debriefing one, the way it was set up. There was a one way window, like in those cop shows, allowing the Avengers to see inside. There was a metal table in the center, where Tony sat. He was fidgeting with his hands in his lap. Natasha hadn't entered the room just yet. She was looking over the questions she was supposed to ask. Steve thought the room was a bit... harsh for such a sensitive subject. It wasn't exactly an environment to instil calm.

   The Avengers had originally told Fury that they did not want to sit in on the debriefing. That this information was private. But, Fury had said that if they want to be in on finding the guy who did this, they needed all the details. So, they had to listen in. When they had told Tony this, he had hesitated for several minutes, very clearly having a debate with himself. The original deal had not included ALL of them having this information. But, after a long silence, he had nodded and headed into the room.

   Now, Tony sat alone in the room, glancing back and forth between the mirror/window and his lap. Steve guessed it would make things easier to not be able to see them, to pretend they weren't there. But, at the same time, that could make it harder. How could he gauge their reactions?

   Soon, Natasha entered the room and sat down opposite Tony, setting some papers and a recorder down on the table. The rooms were electronically recording with the best technology, but the old-fashioned was an extra measure to make sure the information stayed put.

   "Good morning, Tony," she greeted, shuffling through her stack for the first question page.

   "Morning," he mumbled, with one last glance at the window.

   "So, you've done debriefings before, you know how this works. I ask you questions about the event, you answer honestly and concisely, and this gets done pretty quickly," Natasha began, receiving a nod from Tony.

   "Alright," she went on, rolling her eyes at the first question, "Is it true you were kidnapped a number of weeks ago by six unknown men?"

   Tony was silent for a second before shrugging, "I don't know for sure how many of them there were. But... six sounds about right."

   "Are you aware that five of said men were found dead at the scene, the sixth having been witnessed fleeing the building?" Natasha questioned clinically.

   Tony looked shocked for a minute before shaking his head minutely. Steve could guess what was going through his head. Five men dead. Steve knew Tony had wanted them dead probably, wanted them to pay. But still, five lives gone always came as a shock. Natasha spread out five photos on the table.

   "Those are the deceased ones. Can you tell me which one is missing?"

   Tony stared at the faces before him for a long minute, seemingly lost in thought. Natasha softly called his name once to bring him back and he looked up at her slowly.

   "What?" he asked, as though he hadn't heard her.

   "Those are the five who were found dead. Can you tell me what the sixth one looks like?" she repeated slowly. Tony looked back down at the picture, thinking, before shaking his head.

   "They always for ski masks, I didn't see their faces. And," he pointed at the photos, "I can't see how big they were in these."

   Natasha looked at a piece of paper, then gestured to each photo and assigned a height and weight. After this, Tony went quiet again, trying to remember.

   "The missing one was... uh... about six feet, three inches. He was average build for that height I think, maybe a little pudgier. I think he had brown hair. But... I know for sure that he had blue eyes," Tony said slowly, rubbing his shoulder with his opposite hand nervously.

   "Did they ask you for anything? Any information?" Natasha queried.

   "No," he answered quickly.

   "What did they want?" Natasha asked, quirking an eyebrow.

   "I don't want to answer that one," Tony answered firmly.

   "I'm sorry, but you have too," Natasha said apologetically.

   Tony was quiet for a minute, staring down at his hands again. He looked like he was working up the courage to answer the question.

   "They said they just wanted to hurt me," Tony said, averting his eyes from Natasha's avoiding eye contact.

   "Why?"

   "Because they were dicks? I don't know," Tony said almost sarcastically.

   "Tony," Natasha sighed, "This is going to take a lot longer if you don't give me straight answers."

   "Sorry," he muttered.

   "Now, can you please tell me what they wanted?"

   Tony took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "They specifically said that they 'wanted to have some fun.'"

   "What did they mean by that?" she asked,

   "Well... um..." Tony said slowly, picking at his fingernails, "They said that they'd always wandered... what it would be like to... 'screw the great Tony Stark.'"

   At that, everyone in the viewing room, barring Steve, gasped and turned to look at the soldier. After all, if anyone would've known, it would've been Steve. Tony hadn't told him outright, but he had had his suspicions. Confirmed after Tony had been diagnosed.

   Natasha, completely unfazed or at least appearing so, continued with the line of questioning, "That was all? They didn't want anything else?"

   "If they did, they didn't tell me what it was," he said quietly, refusing to look up at Natasha. She held a hand to her ear quickly, and it was then that Steve realized why her questions seemed to fit Tony's answers so well. They were giving her changed to the questions as the interview went along, to keep them relevant.

   "How often did they rape you?" Natasha said clinically, but Steve could tell she did not like having to ask that question. And Tony definitely did not like hearing it. His head jerked up and he looked at Natasha wide-eyed. When he just kept staring at her, she added, "I'm sorry I need you to answer the question."

   Tony kept looking at her for a minute, opened him mouth as though to say something, then shut it again and looked back down at his hands. 

   "Uh..." Tony said after another minute, "I don't know. Probably... uh... seven times total. I-I don't know how... often."

   "Did they video tape it at any point?"

   "I... don't know."

   "Did you attempt an escape at any point?"

   Tony gulped at that question, and Steve could tell that she had hit a sore spot. Even worse than the last one. Without verbally answering, he nodded slowly.

   "It is evident that did not pan out. What did you try to do, and what happened afterward?"

   "I... um, I  tried to strangle one of them when we were alone in the room together. But, the others heard and came in to help him."

   "And?" Natasha pressed.

   "And?" Tony repeated.

   "You didn't answer the second half of the question."

   "Nothing."

   "Tony, the rules said answer honestly," Natasha said calmly.

   "They just cut me," he said simply, but something to his tone said that there was more to it. Natasha held her hand to here ear once again.

   "Excuse you?" She said to the earpiece, "How is that relevant?"

   Tony looked at her nervously, wondering what question she was so upset about. After listening for a moment, she sighed and looked back up at Tony.

   "Can you show me?" she asked reluctantly. Tony stared at her for a good long while before shaking his head.

   "Tony, I need you to," Natasha said firmly, but reassuringly.

   Tony shook his head again, wrapping his arms around his midsection almost protectively. Natasha maintained eye contact unwaveringly. Tony broke first and dropped his eyes to look back down. He took a deep breath and held it for a long time before letting it back out. He stood up slowly and grabbed the hem of his shirt.

   When he revealed the skin underneath, everyone gasped, including Natasha. Even Steve gasped this time. The soldier had seen the cuts on Tony, but he had been so caught up in the moment, he hadn't realized they had SPELLED something.

   The word 'whore' was carved into Tony's side, stretching from his belly button to just under his left armpit. The strokes were long, angry, and crooked. Tony had closed his eyes when he revealed it, but he opened them when he heard Natasha gasp. He saw the look on her face, and glanced quickly at the mirror. Looking almost panicked, he quickly dropped the hem of his shirt back. He quickly left the debriefing room, entering the viewing room. He looked at everyone briefly, before leaving that room too.

   "Tony, wait!" Natasha called from the doorway between the two rooms, where she had stopped after attempting to catch him but deciding against it.

   It didn't matter. It was too late. He was already gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm mean. Am I mean? I think I'm mean. And loving every minute of it! :)  
> Let me know what you guys think! Love hearing from you! Always makes my day!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back baby! And on time too! Awesome!  
> And I have some awesome news! Y'all probably don't care but I'm gonna tell you anyway! I am officially a published author! Like for real! I wrote and original book and people can now buy it! I'm so excited!!!!!!!! I've only been working on it for like five years! EEEEEEK!  
> Anyway, here's your next chapter. Enjoi

   It didn't end up being that hard to find Tony. He hadn't gone very far. And, even if he had, SHIELD had surveillance everywhere. They only had to follow the security footage to where it last picked him up.

   So, all of the Avengers, sans Tony, found themselves standing awkwardly outside of the lab the two scientists on the team shared whenever a mission brought the team here. They had no clue where Tony was in the room, because it was too dark for the cameras inside to pick up anything. And they didn't want to send all of them in at once and overwhelm him. And that was why they all just stood there. Pretty soon, they decided Steve should be the one to go inside. It was Natasha's idea.

   "He obviously trusts you the most. It would be best if you go," she said calmly, as though this were an ordinary conversation.

   "Are you sure?" the soldier asked, "I mean, maybe we should just leave him alone?"

   "Normally, I'd say you're right. But... he needs somebody right now," she answered, gesturing toward the door with her head. Steve looked at the rest of the team, wanting their opinion on the matter. When they all nodded silently, he took a deep breath and opened the door slowly.

   He decided to get inside completely before turning on the light. So, he shut the door behind him and then, leaning against it, he felt around for a light switch.

   "Leave it off," he heard a voice call out from the dark, sounding small and broken.

   "Alright, but how am I supposed to find you if I can't see you?" Steve asked, attempting to lighten the mood, obviously failing when he received no response. His eyes eventually adjusted enough that he could see shapes, and he found that this room had a window. He crossed the space, careful to avoid any obstacles, and examined the blinds. He knew Tony didn't want light, but he needed enough to see enough to find him. So, rather than pulling the string to open them, he grabbed the stick to twist them just a little. Enough that, when he turned around, he could see. Not clearly, and he had to squint, but this was better.

   He glanced around the room, searching for his friend.

   Steve found in eventually. He was underneath a lab table that was placed in the corner of the room, on the opposite wall from the Captain. Tony had his back pressed into the corner, knees pulled up to his chest, arms holding them tight. Steve couldn't see his face, because it was hidden behind his legs, but judging by the hitching of his shoulders, Tony was crying. Not knowing what exactly to do, he crossed the room and knelt down in front of his friend, careful not to bump his head on the table that was full of fragile equipment.

   "Tony?" he said softly, trying not to startle the man. Tony didn't say anything, but he did stop moving.

   "Hey, man. Wanna talk to me?" Steve tried.

   "I've done enough talking today, thanks," Tony whispered into his lap.

   Steve chuckled, more out of obligation than humor, "I see that. I definitely agree."

   They lapsed into silence and Steve sighed, adjusting his stance so he was sitting on the floor, rather than crouching. He scratched his head before attempting conversation again.

   "On the plus side, I think you answered all their questions. It should be easier to find whoever did this now." He received no answer.

   "You know," he tried again, "I think you were very brave agreeing to-"

   "Shut up, Steve," Tony interrupted him, barely more than a whisper.

   "I'm sorry, I'm just trying to hel-" he tried, but was interrupted again.

   "Shut. Up. Steve," Tony repeated, more forcefully this time, looking up at the Soldier. Tony's eyes were red, tears still coming down his cheeks. He sniffed and wiped his eyes angrily, "Shut up."

   "Ok," Steve said plainly, looking to the side awkwardly.

   "I just... I can't help it," Tony said quietly.

   "What?" Steve asked, turning his head to look at his teammate.

   "I get scared and, I don't mean to, and I just freak out. It... sucks. Someone mentions it, I all of a sudden can't breath and then I get dizzy and all of a sudden-" his voice cracked, and he had to wipe his eyes again, "I'm back there."

   "Tony, I-"

   "I said shut up, "he patronized, before continuing, "And I know, on the surface, that I'm in my living room, or my bedroom, or my lab or wherever the fuck I happen to be. But... deep down I can't convince myself of that and it all just comes back."

   Tony was crying again, the tears coming down his face in streams. Steve remained silent.

   "And it's stupid. I don't want to cry, you all will think that I can't handle it on my own. That I'm not strong enough. But, I can't help it!" He shouted this time, slamming his fist into the wall behind him. It caused the table to shake, and Steve heard something tumble and break above him, "And now they gave this dumb disease! And that'll never go away! They had to go and cut that stupid word in me, and that'll never go away! The doctor said it was too deep to fix. I'm stuck with it forever!"

   Tony was practically in hysterics now. His tirade only proving to have worked himself up, rather than calming him down. Not knowing what else to do, Steve held open his arms. Tony stared at him for a second, as if debating whether to hold onto his dignity or not. Then he appeared to decide 'what the fuck', and he made his way over to Steve and let the man hug him. Steve could feel the sobs rack through his friend as Steve held him close.

   "Well," he started, waiting to see if he would be silenced again, "For one, the doctor also said that the hepatitis might go away. It might not be chronic. So, try not to worry about that. Your next appointment is in three months, and we'll know then. Alright?"

   He felt Tony nod against his chest.

   "And two, you are not weak Tony. Whether you can keep from crying or not, that isn't your fault. In fact, you are one of the strongest people I know. That fact that you went through what you went through and are still here is testament enough to that. So, don't ever think you're weak, because you're not."

   Tony didn't respond to that one, but Steve knew that Tony was considering his words. Going through them and debating with himself whether or not they were true.

   "It will get better, Tony. None of this may ever go away completely, but it will eventually be better than it is right now. I promise."

   Again, he didn't get a response. But, he didn't need one. Steve just sat silently with his friend as the sobs calmed down and eventually stopped. And even then, the two of them sat together in the dark. Letting each other know that, no matter what, they'd always be there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did y'all think? Someone said they wanted some nice for Tony, so I thought I would do a little fluff. I don't usually do fluff, so... I think it went pretty well. :)  
> Tell me your thoughts (or I'll have to read your mind instead)!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back and ready to write! Yea! Let's do this!  
> I think I'm going to get back to the plot in this chapter. No more fluff! Maybe a little... I don't know. We'll see.

   Tony eventually came out and Fury gave permission for him to go home. It was a good thing the Director did, too. Because whether or not he had, Steve was going to take Tony home. The man had had enough for one day. Hell, he'd had enough for a lifetime. So, the team escorted their friend home. Tony immediately went to sleep, which was new, and slept soundly for a couple hours. No nightmares. Steve figured that maybe he had cried it all out for now, and was too exhausted for nightmares to occur.

   It wasn't until later that night that they actually got another call from Fury. To Steve this time. The soldier excused himself from the room where the rest of the Avengers had been communing in the kitchen. 

   "Sir," Steve said by way of greeting, "What's going on? Why are you calling so late?" By now, it was nearing midnight.

   "We've got something," Fury answered, voice gruff.

   "Already?!" Steve exclaimed, trying to keep his voice down.

   "Yes, I need all active Avengers to assemble immediately," the man commanded before going offline.

   Steve immediately returned to the kitchen and informed the Avengers of the situation. And with that, they all headed into the conference room that Tony had constructed for them, so they could receive all mission intel in the tower, rather than having to go to SHIELD headquarters. It saved at least twenty minutes off of response time and, in a battle, that was important. They all stood around the screen imbedded in the wall and waited for Fury to tune in. Soon, the screen came to life, and there was Fury, looking serious as ever. Normally, the Avengers would be complaining about the time. But, if this is what they thought it was, they weren't going to utter one complaint. This was serious.

   "Avengers," Fury began, "An undercover agent spotted a possible suspect two blocks East from where Stark was found. I need you to head in that direction and attempt to apprehend him. Agent Hill will semt gps coordimated to your Starkphones and a photo of the suspect."

   Just as all of their phones dinged with the incoming message, they heard a quiet voice from the door.

   "What can I do?"

   They all turned to find Tony standing awkwardly in the doorway, fidgeting with the end of his shirt sleeves. He looked as though he wanted to do anything but be involved in this. 

   "Tony, you don't have t-" Steve started.

   "Shut up," Tony muttered quietly, but firmly, "What can I do?" 

    "Stark, I called all active Avengers. You aren't on this mis-" Fury said.

    "What. Can. I. Do?" Tony repeated, steping further into the room. He stopped fidgeting with his sleeves, pulling them down over his hands, and dropping his arms. 

    Fury sighed, seeing he wasn't going to win this one, "Fine. You can stay here and watch through the and listen through the comms. See if you can identify the suspect when they make comtact."

   Tony didn't move for a moment, before nodding shakily. 

   "Avengers, move out. Now," Fury said, like he was in a hurry. 

   Steve gestured for the team to move out. They all picked up comms from their cabinet and left the room. Steve was the last one out, and he stopped just inside the doorway, turning to look at Tony. He was standing in the center of the room now, staring at the currently blank screen. He looked... alone.

   ''Hey," Steve called softly, making his way back toward Tony, "Everything is going to be okay."

   He felt like he was making a promise he couldn't keep but, at the same time, he knew he was right. He put his hand reassuringly on Tony's shoulder, offering some strength. When Tony looked up at him, he smiled. Tony nodded, forcing a smile of his own onto his face. 

   "Get going," Tony responded, jerking his head toward the door.

    Steve nodded, following after his team, with one last glance back  at his friend. The Avengers were waiting in the Quinjet for him when he got there, except for Bruce, who was just going up the ramp. Steve stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

   "Stay with him?" Steve asked, gesturing back inside. The Hulk most likely wasn't going to come out and play this time, and Steve realIy didn't want Tony to be left here alone. Bruce looked like he wanted to ask to stay, but he thought for a moment, then nodded solemnly and headed back inside. 

   '' Everything alright, Captain?" Natasha asked as he headed up the ramp. Steve saw Thor and Clint turn to look at him. When he responded in the affirmative, they all nodded in return and faced forward in their seats again. Clint started the engine and the plane began to rev up. Steve took his seat beside Natasha and buckled in, just as the jet started moving. When Natasha turned to look at him, he met her eyes.

"Let's go get the bastard," he stated firmly. 

  "Damn right," Clint answered, lifting them all into the air and on to the mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Good stuff? I got a little away from what I was trying to do with this story in the beginning, but I am trying to work my way back.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey bros. Sorry I'm late. Had Monday off so didn't get to go to the library. Instead had to marathon Twilight series with my sister for her birthday. Trust me, I would have rather been here with you.

   The plane ride there was very quiet. The team didn't have much to say, not really. They all had their mission. They all knew what to do and were all determined to do it. What else was there to discuss?

   Unfortunately, not having any conversation to rely on, allowed Steve's thoughts to wander. They went around and around in similar circles, focusing on the same general idea, but never quite reaching the conclusion he was looking for. The answer to why he was mad.

   He thought he was mad at Tony. But every bone in his body was telling him not to be. That under no circumstance was any of this Tony's fault. And yet... Tony didn't call. That was it. Tony had been chased for awhile, right? He had had plenty of opportunities to radio for help before the bastards had caught him, and yet he hadn't even tried. Why? Because he thought he was too good for their help? Because he thought he could do it on his own? Because he didn't trust the Avengers? Trust Steve? None of it made sense.

   That was the line of thought that plagued the Soldier as the Quinjet made it's journey toward their destination. Once they landed, that was when the comms linked up with Stark and Banner back in the Tower and Steve knew they could now see and hear everything the team did. Steve couldn't quite place why that bothered him.

   As the Steve undid his seatbelt, surprised that he had even bothered to fasten it, Natasha and Clint grabbed their gear. JARVIS opened the platform for them, and soon the four present Avengers were heading out into the very early morning to find themselves a bad guy. It would have felt good, being back to what felt like their purpose, had the circumstances been different. As it was, Steve was having trouble not throwing up.

   The team made their way outside and towards an old, run-down building. Steve thought it looked at awful lot like the one they had found Tony in. Which, wasn't exactly a surprise because it was basically in the same neighborhood. The building had a chain-link fence circling it, but that was hardly an obstacle for them. Whether or not it had huge holes in it, which it did, it would not pose a problem for Earth's Mightiest Heroes. They were coming up behind the building, so the gate was on the other side. But, as mentioned, there were a lot of holes and it wouldn't be a problem. It wasn't even barb wired. Natasha decided to climb it quickly, rather than walk an extra two feet to get to the next hole in the fence. The others decided they didn't want to hop any fences and went the normal way.

   They crossed the lawn quickly, in sync, as a unit, and made their way around to the front of the building. The video playing back home in the tower would have thermal vision, as well as allowing Tony and Bruce to have a normal view of the situation at home, so that they could see how many people there were and where they were situated.

   "There are only two people in the building," Bruce's voice crackled through the comms.

   "One on the first floor," Tony now, "And one on the second."

   "Copy," Steve responded, then, gesturing to his team, "Thor and Hawkeye, take the first floor. Black Widow, come with me."

    The team broke up into their designated groups and searched the building. Halfway up the stairs, they heard Clint say into their earpieces.

   "All good here, just an old lady. Thor and I will do a perimeter sweep, just to make sure nobody else is around."

   "Alright, go once then meet us at the jet in fifteen," Steve ordered.

   "Copy."

   Steve suddenly felt nervous. That left one person. And if that person was the one they were looking for... then they had done it. If it wasn't... they had to start the search all over again from scratch. Bruce told them which apartment was the occupied one, and Natasha kicked in the door. Moving inside, they found a man, startled, jumping up from a computer and spinning in shock toward the door.

   "Hands in the air," Natasha demanded, aiming her gun at the man's chest.

   "I'm sorry?" the man responded, raising his hands as asked, "But I think you have the wrong man."

   There was silence in the room. Steve wasn't sure what to do next. He heard Bruce whispering, "Tony? Is it him?" over the comms. There was another silence, for mere seconds this time.

   "It's him," Bruce confirmed, must of having received an affirmative of some kind from Tony. That, of course, sent Steve into a rage.

   He started toward the man, hell bent on destroying him, but Natasha held a hand out to stop him. It was then Steve noticed the look on his face.

   "What are you smiling about?" Steve practically growled.

   The man's smile only got bigger.

   "You're too late."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys think? It's unwinding pretty nicely if I do say so myself.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Yes! Love the chapter, hate me later. It's gonna rock. Yes, I made bad life choices.

   "What do you mean?!" Steve demanded, Natasha still clinging to his arm to prevent him from acting rashly. Not that it mattered. Had he wanted to, he could have gotten loose. He was very tempted to. The object of his rage, the man standing in front of him, still had that smug smirk on his lips. And Steve wanted very much to knock it right off of him.

   "The media still doesn't know Stark went missing, right?" the man, no, the monster, asked. When he his only answer was a tense silence, he continued, "Good. Cause that means they'll be more likely to buy my story."

    This time when Steve lunged forward, Natasha didn't stop him. He dropped his shield and grabbed the man, slamming him against the far wall. Steve saw him grimace as they made impact, the cheap wall raining dust down on his head.

   "What did you do?!" Steve commanded, shaking his prisoner roughly. But the man kept on smiling, despite the fact that he must be in pain by now.

   "Steve," he heard Natasha call softly, causing him to look over his shoulder. She was standing by the computer, having finished reading the screen, and gestured with her head for him to come closer. Steve nodded, looking back at the man he held in his hands. Compared to Steve, the man seemed puny. At least, in the face of his rage he did. But, Steve knew this man was bigger than Tony. And knowing that this man probably used that against his friend, made him see red. Before he could do anything rash, or rasher, he grabbed the collar of the man's shirt and dragged him back toward the computer. He handed him to Natasha, who cuffed him and dropped him on the floor.

   "Look," she said quietly, pointing at the computer, "He posted it."

   "Posted what?" Steve asked, examining the computer. It was all just numbers to him, he couldn't read code. Tony must have figured out what it meant, because he heard a 'shit' over the comms and then a smashing sound, followed by Bruce calling, 'Tony? What is it?'

   "The footage. Of Tony. He posted it online," Natasha answered, venom in her voice.

   They heard a harsh laughter behind them, shrill and full of glee. The two spun around to view their prisoner.

   "That's right," he said, smiling ear to ear, "And I cut it together in just the right way. Everyone will think he wanted it."

   "He didn't," Steve said firmly, really wishing he could kick this guy in the face, "How could you make it appear that way? It has to be obvious!"

   "I've got mad skills. But anyway, it doesn't matter. You'll have to try explaining that to the media," he laughed again, leaning against a couch he had been thrown down near.

   "That's it," Natasha said, walking over determinedly over and nailing the guy right in the side of the head with her fist. Steve felt strangely satisfied watching the man's body fall limp on the floor.

   Then, Steve and Natasha glanced at each other. If shit hadn't hit the fan before, it definitely had now.

* * *

   "Where's Tony?" Steve asked when the team re-entered the tower. The four who had been on the mission had dropped their prisoner off at SHIELD HQ, not wanting to have to be near him any longer than they had to. Both because he was a disgusting excuse for a human being, and because they were dangerously close to killing him. While they all wanted to, they recognized that that was not how justice was served. Sometimes, Steve wished he could just break the rules. Anyway, once he was gone, they had skipped debrief for now. They had needed to come and check on Tony.

   "I don't know," Bruce shrugged, looking incredibly worried, "He read the code, then checked his phone for something. With context now, I assume it was the... footage. Then he threw it against a wall and disappeared. I've asked JARVIS, but he won't tell me."

   Steve sighed, rubbing his hand across his face, "Alright. Should we go look for him?"

   "I do believe our Shield Brother is in need of our presence at the present moment," Thor chimed in.

   "I think so too," Natasha affirmed, "Let's go see who can find him. split up. We'll each take a floor."

   They all nodded, heading to the elevator to be dropped off on their own floors. Steve ended up searching his own floor, as the rest searched their own respectively. Their thinking was, that since they knew the floors the best, they would be best equipped to know where someone would hide inside. If Tony wasn't in any of these, they had agreed to split in two groups, and search his workshop and living space. Finding nothing on his own floor, and confirming the same findings with the others, they agreed to meet back in the elevator to divide up again. Steve ended up with Natasha again to search the workshop, while Thor, Bruce and Clint were going to look through Tony's floor. 

   The door didn't want to open to them at first, the workshop having been locked. Steve and his partner took it to mean that Tony was in there. The windows had been blacked out, so they had no way of seeing what was going on inside. After almost begging, almost, to JARVIS to let them in, the door opened. But not by the AI. They heard some beeping from the other end, on the key pad, before Tony opened the door. 

   "Sorry," he said quietly, holding the door against him, only revealing half of his body, blocking them from entering, "Come on in. But... it's a mess."

   He backed out of they way, opening the door fully to let them in. They saw what he meant by 'mess'. The word was an understatement. There was broken glass everywhere, the liquor cabinet having been emptied of it's contents, alcohol wetting the floor. One of the helmets from a suit lay in the middle of the floor, the face smashed in. A hammer, the probably culprit, lay beside it. Looking at Tony, Steve noted that he looked tired. Not that that was uncommon lately. Part of it was the symptoms from his new disease showing, even more so from the fact that he was refusing to sleep. But, Steve knew, part of it came from his soul. That sounded corny, but it was true. Tony had been through a lot, and the weight of it all was physically draining. It had to be. 

   "I'm sorry," Tony gestured to the mess, "I kind of lost it for a second."

   "Completely understandable. To be honest, Steve almost did too," Natasha remarked kindly. 

   "It's true," Steve agreed, nodding his head enthusiastically. Anything to maybe bring something beside sadness to Tony's eyes. 

   It worked. Tony smiled. It was small, and it looked tired, but Steve was going to count it as a win. It was something. But it disappeared seconds later. 

   "Have you watched the videos? Is it on the news?" he asked quietly, wringing his hands in front of him.

   "No, and we don't intend to," Natasha assured, "Even if SHIELD requires it. I won't do it."

   "Thanks," Tony muttered, looking down at his hands. 

   "As for the news, I couldn't honestly say. We haven't checked it. We dropped the perv off at HQ and came to check on you," Steve said darkly. Tony smirked slightly, looking up at Steve. 

   "I never thought I'd hear Captain America call somebody a 'perv,'" Tony said, almost laughing. 

   "I never thought I'd say a lot of things. But, doesn't matter. He is, so..." Steve trailed off. Not sure where he was going with that.

   "Sir," JARVIS chimed in, breaking the silence, "they are mentioning the footage on Channel 2."

   "I didn't tell you to monitor the news, JARVIS," Tony said, looking toward the television. As though debating whether or not to turn it on. 

   "I thought you might prefer it if I did, sir. If I overstepped, I apologize."'

   "No, it's fine. That was actually a good idea."

   "Do you want to see what they're saying?" Natasha asked neutrally. Steve couldn't tell exactly what she thought of the idea.

   "Sure," Tony shrugged, "I'll have to find out eventually, why not sooner than later."

   At the comment, JARVIS turned on the monitor to the proper channel, and a blonder reporter in a purple, skirt-suit appeared on screen.

   "Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. It would appear that Tony Stark is back to his promiscuous ways, and this time with a vengeance. It would appear all the speculators were correct and that a monogamous relationship wouldn't do it for him. The notorious playboy had to go out in search of some more fun. This time, in the form of BDSM."

   Steve couldn't see Tony's face, he was standing behind the man, but he did see Tony's shoulders tense. 

   "Footage was sent anonymously to the station earlier this afternoon, and it is unclear whether Tony Stark knows who released the footage. The working theory now is one of his numerous lovers recorded in the video. The footage has since been uploaded to a celebrity porn site and has already received fifteen thousand views. It is unclear thus far whether or not this new development will affect the relationship of Mr. Stark and his CEO and girlfriend, Pepper Potts. More on this subject at six."

   She signed off with a smile. It seemed so out of place. 

   "I need to talk to him," Tony announced suddenly, turning for the door.

   "What?!" Steve asked, shocked.

   "I have to talk to him!" Tony repeated, harsher this time, and he disappeared from the room. Natasha and Steve ran after him, hoping to catch him. But they were too late. The elevator door was closing. 

   "Shit!" Natasha swore.

   "What do you think he wants to say to him?" Steve asked,  looking at her.

   "I don't know. But we have to try and beat him there," Natasha answered, "JARVIS, tell the others to meet us at HQ. We have a problem."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So??? Thoughts? Did I go too far? I don't know.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have gone radio silence again! I miss you! How am I supposed to know what you're thinking? It's like I'm alone in the dessert, but not really because there are people behind a glass that I can't see watching me suffer!  
> Love me!!  
> Well, whether or not you love me, I am writing you a chapter anyway. Because I love you. So there.  
> But sorry this is short. I'm kind of not sure where to go with this... so I've got to figure that out.

   Tony, for some unfathomable reason, had hailed a taxi rather than have his driver take him. Steve would of thought that getting into a car with a stranger would have been something Tony downright would not do. But, as it turns out, the man is full of surprises. They managed to reach the taxi just as Tony was getting in. Well, Steve and Nat did. Thor, Clint and Bruce had to call Tony's driver. Steve narrowly avoided his foot getting caught in the door as the car started moving.

   "What is going on, Tony?" Natasha demanded. All three Avengers were seated in the back seat, and Natasha was place in the center.

   "I need to talk to the guy you brought in," Tony answered, and Steve wondered whether the man was purposefully being vague.

   "About what? What is so important that you have to speak to him right now?" Natasha said, clearly getting fed up with this mystery.

   "This wasn't his idea," Tony stated, looking out Steve's window. In their direction, but not at them.

   "What? Kidnapping you? The... other stuff?" Steve asked, finally joining in.

   Tony sighed and closed his eyes momentarily, "Yes, that. It couldn't have been his idea. He... he doesn't know enough!"

   "What does that mean?" Steve and Natasha said in unison.

   "It means that he supposedly is the one who posted the..." Tony paused, "footage, on the internet. But he can't be. At least, he didn't write that code.

   "The code we saw on his computer screen?" Steve clarified, "Those numbers?"

   "Yes. I saw it through your camera. All he would have needed to do was cut the footage and post it. But that code was meant to disguise his IP address so it couldn't be traced back to where it was sent or posted from. James couldn't have done that."

   "James? You know his name?" Natasha said, sounding flustered, which was a first in Steve's book.

   "Yes, James. James Mason. I ran his picture through facial recognition software right after I finished trashing my lab. His name is James Mason. He is ex-military, left with dishonorable discharge. He was born in Newport, Oklahoma on November 26, 1979. I know he could not have written that code, because every computer or computer science class he has ever taken, he has flunked. And, every other person who was in his group was dead. He wouldn't have hired somebody to write that code. James would have just posted from the computer and left the area. Somebody else must have wanted that extra precaution. Somebody, most likely, who was paying him and his friends to do their dirty work."

   "So..." Steve started, "You think somebody paid him to do that stuff to you?"

   Tony nodded slowly, still staring out the window.

   "Why?"

   "Well, I won't know that until I know who did it. And, I won't know that, until I talk to James."

   "I really don't think that's a good idea," Natasha said, calmer now, "Why don't you let me do it?"

   "Because I need to do this," Tony answered, finally looking at Natasha. Steve saw that, for the first time since they found Tony, there wasn't fear in his eyes. He was angry.

   He was going to bring down the people who did this to him, and _nobody_ was going to stop him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tada! Chapter complete! Yes! You're welcome! I am WAY too caffeinated today...  
> Anyway, IMPORTANT QUESTION: I can't decide who is paying James. Should it be an old character from Tony's past? A new one? I'm stuck.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I missed last week, guys. Life said, "Friend, I hate to break it to ya. But we are not friends," and it was determined to keep me away from the computer. But this week I am fighting back! Here I am!

   The others had beat the taxi to HQ, so when Steve, Natasha, and Tony pulled up, they saw Tony's driver parked by the back door with Thor, Clint, and Bruce standing outside looking confused. Tony jumped out of the car before it had even pulled to a complete stop, and ran through the Avengers' entrance before anyone had time to react.

  "What's going on?" Clint called as Natasha and Steve exited their vehicle.

   "Tony decided he needs to speak to James," Steve answered, heading after Tony, leaving Natasha to pay the cabbie and explain the situation to the rest of the team.

   The soldier burst through the front door, searching for his friend. But, Tony had already vanished. Luckily for Steve, he knew exactly where the man was going. Since the elevator was in use, presumably by Tony, Steve took the stairs. About one flight up, he heard footsteps below him and knew that the others were following him up the steps. 

   Tony had gone to the interrogation room, and just as Steve made his way into the viewing room, Tony was slamming the door behind him. James had been sitting in the room, alone, at the table in the middle. He looked up when the door opened, a smile spreading over his face when he saw who it was.

   "Tony!" he exclaimed, "Good to see you. I've missed you."

   Tony didn't respond, he simply grabbed the front of James' shirt and threw him again the wall. Steve had been on his way in to stop Tony, but he froze. Maybe he should just let Tony 'talk' to James after all.

   "Oh, apparently you've missed me too," James said, smile not wavering. If anything, it turned even more into a leer. Steve did not like that look, especially when it was directed at his friend.

   "Who hired you?" Tony demanded, his hands grasping James' shoulders, keeping him pinned to the wall. 

   "I don't know what you're talking about," James answered. Tony obviously didn't believe him, as he pulled James forward and slammed him back into the wall.

   "I'm tired of playing games. Who hired you?!" Tony repeated, voice rising in volume. It was subtle, but Steve could see James' bravado wavering. It was that moment when the team finally caught up and joined Steve in the viewing room. Nobody said a word.  

   "Can't tell you that. But I can tell you that I was hired to break you," James said, trying to deflect, "Obviously I didn't do my job."

   Tony didn't respond.

   "Take it as a compliment. I don't admit I failed lightly. Maybe we should go for a round two?" James leered, winking suggestively, "Or would it be round ten? Eleven?"

   Tony had had enough. He grabbed James' hair and slammed his head back into the wall, letting the man fall to the floor. He got down and sat on James' abdomen, pinning him to the floor. Dazed, James tried to lash out at Tony, but but was quickly stopped when Tony grabbed his wrists.

   "Like I said, I'm done playing. Now, either tell me what I want to know, or I'll break your fingers," Tony threatened, voice deadly serious, "One, by, one."

   James had stopped smiling and, for the first time, he looked scared. As he should be. 

   "I don't know!" James tried.

   Tony looked the man dead in the eye and separated one of his fingers from the rest.

   "No! No, wait!" James pleaded, and Tony paused, "I really don't know! He didn't give me a name. I got a phone call one day, the number was blocked. This guy was on the line, saying he had a job for me. He told me what he wanted me to do. And... he gave me everything I needed to get the job done. He hired guys to help me, told me to kill them when it was all done. No loose ends. He gave that code to make tracing the video back impossible. He checked in daily to make sure everything was getting down. He paid me a  **lot** of money! I-I couldn't say no to that much dough!"

   Tony was quiet for a minute, assessing James. Determining the validity of his statement. Then, he leaned down really close to James' ear.

   "That's the beauty of it," Tony said darkly, "You could have said no."

   Then, he stood slowly, and headed out the door, leaving James to lie on the floor looking terrified. Once inside the viewing room, Tony didn't look at his teammates. 

   "I have to wash my hands," Tony said quietly, sounding disgusted. He left the room and all that followed after him was silence. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did y'all think? I hope it was good because I had a whole extra week to write it. It is short I think, I can't tell. If the library is open, I'll update again this week. I know who my bad guy is gonna be!  
> Also, I'm thinking of writing a new fic after I finish this one! Fascinating I know. It isn't relevant here, but I thought I'd share.


End file.
